Learn more about past continuous.

2. The complete structure.

3. USE 1 Interrupted Action in
the Past

 Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a
longer action in the past was interrupted.
The interruption is usually a shorter action
in the Simple Past. Remember this can be
a real interruption or just an interruption in
time.

4. Examples:
•I was watching TV when she called.
•When the phone rang, she was writing a
letter.
•While we were having the picnic, it
started to rain.
•What were you doing when the
earthquake started?
•I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear
the fire alarm.

5. USE 2 Specific Times as an
Interruption.
In USE 1, described above, the
Past Continuous is interrupted by a
shorter action in the Simple Past.
However, you can also use a
specific time as an interruption.

6. Examples:
• Last night at 6 PM, I was
eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still
driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I
was sitting at my desk at work.

7. Important
 In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to
show when an action began or finished. In
the Past Continuous, a specific time only
interrupts the action.
Examples:
• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
I STARTED EATING AT 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
I STARTED EARLIER; AND AT 6 PM, I WAS IN THE
PROCESS OF EATING DINNER.

8. USE 3 Parallel Actions
When you use the Past Continuous
with two actions in the same
sentence, it expresses the idea
that both actions were happening
at the same time. The actions are
parallel.

9. Examples:
• I was studying while he was making
dinner.
• While Ellen was reading, Tim was
watching television.
• Were you listening while he was
talking?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was
writing the letter, so I made several
mistakes.
• What were you doing while you
were waiting?

10. USE 4 Atmospheres.
 In English, we often use a series of parallel actions
to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in
the past.
Example:
• When I walked into the office, several people
were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones, the boss was yelling directions, and
customers were waiting to be helped. One
customer was yelling at a secretary and waving
his hands. Others were complaining to each other
about the bad service.

11. USE 5 Repetitions and
Irritation with "Always"
The Past Continuous with words such as
"always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that
something irritating or shocking often
happened in the past. The concept is very
similar to the expression "used to" but with
negative emotion. Remember to put the words
"always" or "constantly" between "be" and
"verb+ing."

12. Examples:
•She was always coming to
class late.
•He was constantly talking.
He annoyed everyone.
•I didn't like them because
they were always
complaining.

13. While vs. When
 Clauses are groups of words which have
meaning, but are often not complete sentences.
Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as
"when she called" or "when it bit me." Other
clauses begin with "while" such as "while she was
sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When you
talk about things in the past, "when" is most often
followed by the verb tense Simple Past, where as
"while" is usually followed by Past Continuous.
"While" expresses the idea of "during that time."
Study the examples below. They have similar
meanings, but they emphasize different parts of
the sentence.

14. Examples:
• I was studying when she
called.
• While I was studying, she
called.

15. REMEMBER Non-Continuous
Verbs / Mixed Verbs.
 It is important to remember that Non-
Continuous Verbs cannot be used in
any continuous tenses. Also, certain
non-continuous meanings for Mixed
Verbs cannot be used in continuous
tenses. Instead of using Past
Continuous with these verbs, you must
use Simple Past.

16. Examples:
• Jane was being at my
house when you arrived. Not
Correct
• Jane was at my house
when you arrived. Correct

17. ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the
placement for grammar adverbs
such as:
always, only, never, ever, still, just,
etc.

18. Examples:
• You were just studying when she called.
• Were you just studying when she
called?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
• The salesman was helping the customer
when the thief came into the store. ACTIVE
• The customer was being helped by the
salesman when the thief came into the
store. PASSIVE